No Longer a Baby in Disguise?
by musicallover786
Summary: Starts right from where the episode 'Sectionals' ended. Will didn't expect to fall for a teenager. Rachel didn't expect that they could help each other so much. Will/Rachel. CHAPTER 12 ADDED!
1. Chapter 1

**Okay guys, this is my first fanfic that I have actually felt is worthy of posting. Reviews (be as harsh as you want, I am completely open to criticism) and plot suggestions would be very much appreciated, or I might not even bother finishing it if I don't think anybody's reading. :)**

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Chapter 1 - Will POV

I pulled my lips away from Emma's with a cheesy grin pasted on my face. She smiled back at me, then her face turned sombre. "Will..." she began, "We can't do this, I'm sorry. You _just_ left your wife; you're not even divorced yet! And Ken just dumped me and I just quit my job and-" Emma seemed on the verge of tears.

I put my finger to her lips to silence her. "Shh, I know, and it's okay. We can just go to Figgins and explain the situation to him. He'll understand, everything will work out."

"No it won't! I still can't look at Ken without bursting into tears after all the pain I caused him!" She was sobbing now. "He deserves someone better than me, and so do you, Will."

She bent down to pick up her box and I knelt down beside her. She was hesitant to make eye contact with me but I pulled her chin up and wiped the tears from her eyes. "Who's to say who I deserve? All I know is that right now, I want you, and I don't care what's standing in our way."

"Well I do, and I know I can't go through this again. I'm not your guidance counsellor, but I think you need to figure out what's going on in your life before you start making decisions that affect other people. Call me when you get your shit together." And with that, she picked up her box and marched out the front doors of William McKinley High School for the last time.

I watched her leave with complete and utter shock. All of a sudden, the headache I'd been fighting off all day caught up with me. _Did that just happen? On Saturday at the wedding, she basically professed her love for me, and now she's claiming to not want anything to do with me until my divorce and everything else gets sorted out. Fuck, why are women so confusing? Normally when I was having an emotional crisis like this, I would ask Emma for help, but considering she was now the cause of it and she was gone, I have no one to depend on._ I sighed. _Whatever, I'll sort this out later. I should get back to the glee club or the kids are going to start wondering where I ran off to so fast after they finished their performance of _My Life Would Suck Without You. I walked dejectedly back to the music room. As soon as I opened the door, I put on a brave face and exclaimed eagerly, "Sorry I left so quickly, guys, but that was amazing! When did you have time to rehearse?"

They all replied excitedly, telling me a few different stories at once, all except for Rachel. She just stared at me curiously, as if she was trying to judge whether or not my enthusiasm was genuine. Immediately my smile faded. Here I was, trying as hard as I could to pretend for my students' sake that I was not completely heartbroken, and she was just making it all the more difficult by giving me that look. I felt the tears start to well in my eyes and I quickly turned to face the wall. It only took a few seconds to regain composure, and when I looked back at Rachel, she was talking to Finn as if nothing had happened. _Well, that was weird. Am I seeing things? God, I've had a long day, I just need to go home and get some rest._

"Okay kids, we're done for today!" I announced to the kids. "We'll talk about our new songs for regionals next day!"

They all started chatting as they shuffled out the door of the music room, waving goodbye to me as they walked away. Rachel glanced over towards me, and there was that _look_ again! It was as if she could feel my pain from deep down into my soul. _Well, she probably can, it is Rachel after all. She's always been the perceptive one. Come to think of it, ever since she stopped criticizing everything I did, she's actually become really nice... beautiful too, look at those legs! Okay, what the fuck? This is _Rachel_ we're talking about! _She seemed to be considering something in her head, but then she just walked out the door after the rest of the glee kids. I gathered up all my music and headed to my office to grab the rest of my stuff. I walked over behind my desk to pick up all my marking and immediately fell into my chair. I sighed and put my head on my desk. _I don't even want to go home, I have to sleep on the couch anyways. Sleeping like this might actually be more comfortable..._ _I should start looking for a new apartment soon... or is Terri moving out? God, we haven't even talked about our living arrangements yet! So much to do, no energy to do it... _I was interrupted by a timid knock at the door. Instantly my thoughts went to Emma, but I knew she wouldn't be here. I slowly lifted my head. "Who is it?" I mumbled. She opened my door and I breathed a sigh of relief. The one person I might actually be able to talk to, who might be able to understand. "Rachel," I smiled.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks so much for all the reviews! Keep 'em coming!**

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Chapter 2 – Rachel POV

As soon as I stepped through the doorway of Mr. Schue's office to find him sitting at his desk looking so tired and depressed, I realized how nervous I was. Suddenly, the short speech I had planned out didn't seem like such a good idea.

"Rachel," he looked at me adorably as my heart leapt. "Have a seat. What can I do for you?"

I obliged, breathed in deeply, and then quickly said, "I told Finn that he wasn't the father of Quinn's baby. I don't know why, I guess I was just trying to break them up so I could have Finn, but it totally backfired because now everyone just hates me..." It wasn't the complete truth, but Mr. Schue didn't have to know that. "Your turn."

He raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

I sighed. "Well, it's no secret that you've been really depressed lately. Hell, you even slept in the music room last week! And now that Ms. Pillsbury quit, you don't really have anyone to talk to anymore... right?" I quickly realized that I might be coming off as too forward, so I added, "No one does now that there's no guidance counsellor, and I was hoping you could give me some advice as well."

Mr. Schue smiled; it was the first real smile I had seen from him in a while. "Yeah... okay, you're right. I suppose it's only right for me to try and help you since it is kinda my fault that..." His voice trailed off, and then he started again. "I really don't have anyone to talk to anymore. I'm so confused, I don't know where I went wrong, I really thought I was doing everything right..." He looked down towards the ground, and for a second, I thought he was going to start crying. Two seconds later, he cleared his throat and looked back into my eyes. "I have to ask though, Rachel, why me? What's with the sudden interest in _my_ life? I'm sure you have other people to talk to, right?"

_Shit. Uh, because the rest of the glee club nominated me to help you because you obviously need it? And because I kinda still like you, even though you've made it blatantly obvious that you're 100% not interested? Although that was before your divorce... but still, it's not like I have a chance anyways, I'm still a 'baby in disguise', right?_ "The whole glee club is really worried about you, Mr. Schue." I replied as confidently as I could. "We really need your support right now if we're going to win regionals, and we can't do it if you're not at the top of your game!"

He seemed to believe it. "That's really sweet, Rach, honestly, but I'm fine. Well, I will be soon, at least. I can sort it out by myself."

I stared at him and smiled. "I don't buy it."

He sighed. "Clearly, you know me better than I thought."

"Of course I do. Now spill, what did you just say about making Ms. Pillsbury quit?"

He smirked. "Crap, I was hoping you didn't catch that. Yeah, it was basically my fault. You know that she was engaged to Coach Tanaka, right?" I nodded. "Well, it turns out she was only settling for him because she was in love with me but figured she had no chance since I was married. But then when I found out that my wife, Terri, had been lying to me about being pregnant, I realized I had these... concealed feelings for Emma, I mean, Ms. Pillsbury, that I had just been too afraid to admit before. But then Coach Tanaka called off their wedding so I thought, you know, this could be our chance, right? So then today after your performance for me, I caught her before she left and kissed her, but then she told me that my life was messed up and that I needed to figure things out before we could start a relationship. She was right, I guess..." He trailed off and suddenly became very interested in one of his fingernails.

_Holy crap, this is weird. Has my life basically been mirroring Ms. Pillsbury's lately? She was in love with Mr. Schue when he was taken so she found some other guy that was interested in her to be with. Then when Mr. Schue became single again, he developed those same feelings for her. Well, that means it could happen to me too, right?? Except in my case, I wanted Finn too, who I also couldn't have, so then I started dating Puck for, what? A week? But I guess he was never really interested in me, he was just a perv who wanted to hook up with a fellow Jew. Alright bottom line, my life is just as fucked as Mr. Schue's. _"Okay, so what kinds of things do you think you need to figure out? You're still getting a divorce, right? How's that going?"

"Um... well nothing's really happened yet. I told her I'm leaving but I haven't officially filed for divorce. God, I don't even want to go home if it means seeing her face, I'm just so angry..." He looked down at his desk again.

_Wow, this may be easier than I thought._ "Okay, then I would suggest doing that as quickly as possible. As for not going home, I would offer you our spare bedroom, but..." I trailed off, not really sure what to say. _Should I be offering my house to him? I think that would be taking our relationship too fast, I wouldn't want to jeopardize anything that could happen between us in the future. _

"No! I mean... that's very kind, Rachel, but I don't think that would be appropriate."

I sighed, _called that one._ "No, of course not."

Suddenly, his phone buzzed, signalling he had received a new text message. "Sorry, one sec," he said as he reached for his phone and flipped it open. "Well, that's one problem solved, I guess. Terri's staying at her sister's tonight for, and I quote, 'an indefinite amount of time until you come to your senses and realize how much you can't live without me.'"

I tried to hold back laughter, but pretty soon, Mr. Schue and I were both doubled over laughing. It was weird, I tried to think back to the last time I had laughed that hard but I couldn't remember. It was like he was the only person who could bring out that side of me, and it looked like he felt the same way. "Wow, Terri seems to be quite the woman!" I giggled.

Mr. Schue chuckled. "You have no idea. Oh, I almost forgot! You wanted to talk about Finn, right?"

"Um... no, I think that can wait..."

"Are you sure?" I nodded vigorously. He glanced at his watch. "Oh wow, it's already 6:30! We should both be heading home, then." He jumped up and began gathering his belongings.

"B-but I never even gave you any real advice!"

He pondered this for a second, then replied, "Yeah, I guess not, but I have to admit that this was really nice, Rachel. Thank you."

I grinned. "You're welcome." We walked out of his office together, his hand gently resting on my back sending shivers down my spine. _Success!_


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry I took so long to update, that's what happens when Christmas break ends and homework starts again... *sigh* But on the bright side, I think I know where I'm going for the rest of the story now! Only 5 reviews for the last chapter? Not cool guys... please review!**

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Chapter 3 – Will POV

I opened the door of my apartment, relieved that I had the place all to myself. _Wow, talking to Rachel tonight was actually so great. It was exactly what I needed to get my mind off Terri and Emma. It just felt so good to have someone to talk to, who... well, I guess she doesn't really understand, but she could've fooled me. It was really great of her to do that... and she said the Glee kids put her up to it, right? Yeah, I doubt it... I think she's the only one who actually cares that much about me. She didn't even want to talk about her problems; she was only concerned with mine. I've always found that to be so attractive in a woman, putting others before herself. And she has the most beautiful smile I've ever seen and her laugh is so adorable and- shit! This cannot be happening, I can't be thinking about one of my _students_ like this! I feel like Sandy Ryerson... ugh, that sleazebag! No, no I'm not like him; I've never acted on my feelings. I need to stop thinking about her, but I can't! It's like she has this power over me that I can't describe... _For the next hour or so, I did whatever I could to try and get my mind off Rachel. I tried marking Spanish tests, watching TV, listening to music; but it seemed like everything I did just reminded me of her. Then, I did something I knew I would regret the next morning. At the very back of the pantry was a hidden cupboard that Terri thought I didn't know about. Every once in a while, especially after we had just had a big fight, she would open it and grab her bottle of Jack Daniels to drown her sorrows in. I knew, I always knew, but I guess I was never man enough to confront her about it, too afraid of how she might react. She would probably just try to turn it around and blame me for her problems. But now, it was my turn to drown my sorrows. I opened the cupboard to find a full bottle of Jack, _excellent_. Before I knew it, I had downed the entire bottle and passed out on my bed.

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I woke up the next morning to my alarm blaring in my ears and a headache even worse than the one I had yesterday. _Fuck! Now I remember why I never drink this much..._ I stayed in bed with my pillow over my head, trying to block out the sun shining through my window. It wasn't for another half an hour that I realized that, yes, I did actually have to go to work today. I trudged over to the kitchen and grabbed a glass of water, then opened the door to the medicine cabinet. _What? You're kidding me, right? We have no Advil??_ I quickly searched the rest of the house, but no luck. I ran through some options in my head. _Well, I slept in by half a freaking hour so I don't have time to run to the drug store, and I need to be at school right by 8:30 because I have classes all morning, plus I promised I would sub a chemistry class this afternoon. Ah, shit! Maybe I'll be able to find some in the school. _

I quickly got dressed and drove to the school. I made my way down the hallway to my office, trying to avoid eye contact with anyone who gave me a strange look. And then, Rachel walked past me. Suddenly, I remembered my dream from last night, the one that involved her in that black corset mini dress she came to school in a couple weeks ago. I blushed fiercely and speed walked past her, trying my best to look the opposite direction from her, but I swear I could see her looking at me with deep concern before I turned the corner.

After I had made a quick pit stop in the men's washroom to be sick, I finally made it to my office. To my surprise, there was a small pill bottle sitting right on top of my desk that hadn't been there the night before. I realized it was Advil and downed two capsules without thinking. It wasn't until I set the bottle down again that I realized it had been sitting on a note.

"_Mr. Schue,_

_I know a hangover when I see one, so I figured you could use this. Please don't resort to drinking; it's terrible for your voice. I know you're having a tough time right now, but I'll always be here if you need to talk. _

_-Rachel"_

I sighed. _Of course it was Rachel, of course it was. Because she's the only person who actually gives a shit about me now, and I know I should be thankful to have her, but instead I'm beating myself up because every time I see her or hear her or even think about her, I feel myself falling a little bit more in love with her. And she's fucking sixteen! _In a fit of rage, I hurled the Advil bottle towards the wall, where it collided with a thud and dropped to the ground. I put my head down on my desk and let the tears slowly fall for a couple minutes, until the bell signalling the start of first period rang. I groaned, t_he pity party will have to wait. _

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Much to my surprise, I actually made it through the entire school day without breaking down or going insane once. I quickly packed up all my books and papers and rushed out of my classroom. I didn't even notice Rachel standing right beside the door frame, obviously waiting for me.

"Hey Mr. Schue!" She smiled at me. "I was just wondering if you wanted to... um... talk? I'm assuming you got my little gift as you look much better now than you did this morning. How is your divorce going?"

She could sense my hesitation, and her smile slowly faded. I wanted to say yes. To tell her anything and everything, and wrap her into a hug and inhale the smell of her hair and just make that smile reappear. All these things I wanted to do, but I knew I couldn't. Instead, I stated firmly, "Rachel, my life is of no concern to you. I am your teacher, you are my student, and the lines cannot be blurred. Besides, I'm sure your dads will be worried." Turning my back and walking away from her was one of the hardest things I ever had to do.


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry this is such a short chapter, but I wanted to switch back to Will's POV pretty quickly, and I like the idea of alternating POV between Will and Rachel in every chapter. FYI - I'm pretty sure this story is going to end up having 7 chapters in total, unless I decide to go in a different direction later. Please review!**

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Chapter 4 – Rachel POV

I wasn't sure how long how I had been standing outside Mr. Schue's office in shock. _No. No, no, no! That did not just happen; this is all a dream, right? Crap... I'm pretty sure that actually happened. This is not okay! _I stormed out of the school furiously.

I spent that night in my bed tossing and turning, trying to figure out what was going on and what my next move should be. _Well, okay, obviously Mr. Schue is just feeling like he can't admit his feelings about me because I'm his student and he's not divorced yet and whatever, but I know this could work. I just need to make him see it too...but how? Seduce him in his office? Nah, too forward. Leave little messages on his desk? Too creepy... hmm... what to do... Ah ha! I got it! _

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I woke up the next morning an hour early and immediately checked myself in the mirror. I had huge bags under my eyes from lack of sleep and my skin looked slightly blotchy. _Perfect! I'll just bring some makeup to school and do it right before my first class. _

I arrived at the school at exactly 7:30am, my face still the mess it had looked like when I first woke up. A couple teachers had started to arrive, but the light was still off in Mr. Schue's office. I tried the door – locked. _Crap... I think I'm too early. I could have had another few minutes of beauty sleep! _I sighed._ Whatever, I'm sure he'll be here soon. _I had just opened my locker when I heard Mr. Schue's voice coming from the end of the hallway. _Shit, I can't let him see me yet!_ Without thinking, I jumped into my full-length locker and closed the door. I waited for a few seconds to make sure he had passed my locker and gone into his office before stepping out. _Ew! Note to self, never hide in your locker again unless you want to look like the Crypt Keeper afterwards!_ I brushed the imaginary dust off my mini skirt before grabbing my eye drops and putting a few into each eye. I smiled to myself as they dripped down my face. After shutting my locker, I confidently strode over to Mr. Schue's office. I closed my eyes for a few second to 'get into character', and as a result, I felt my eyes well up with tears. I knocked timidly on the door.

"Come in!" I heard him call from inside.

I stepped in, making sure the expression on my face made it look like I had just been crying.

He was standing beside his desk organizing some papers, but he looked up sharply as soon as he heard my footsteps. "Rachel? What's wro-"

I cut him off by starting to suddenly fake sob. He immediately pulled me close to him into a hug, rubbing circles on my back and muttering, "It's okay," into my ear. I relaxed into his chest and just savoured the moment; I could have sworn he was smelling my hair. After a few moments, he pulled away and looked straight into my eyes, "Do you need to talk?"

I nodded and sat down in the chair facing his desk as he sat in his. He looked at me, waiting for me to speak, but I just looked at him for a couple seconds, taking it all in. His eyes were focused on mine, his face the very picture of concern, and I was pretty sure I could see fear behind it. "I... m-my... dad's in the hospital, we d-don't think he's going to make it..." I stuttered softly.


	5. Chapter 5

**I know the last chapter was really short, but only 2 reviews? Really? *sigh*... I think I may have to start bribing you guys... Please review, even if it's criticism!**

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Chapter 5 – Will POV

_She is beautiful._ It was the only thought I could process as I sat at my desk across from Rachel, waiting for her to begin talking. _Even with the tears dripping down her cheeks and little to no makeup on, she is beautiful._ But as soon as she told me the reason she was here, the thought was replaced by a sudden, deep ache in my chest.

"Oh, sweetie," I started, then immediately shut my mouth. _Aw shit, I cannot start this now! The last thing I need is for her to start thinking I'm some kind of creepy pedophile when she's trying to talk to me!_ But, to my surprise and contentment, she just smiled faintly. "What happened?" I asked.

"He... he was in a terrible car crash..." She muttered hesitantly. "He went into a coma, and it doesn't look like he's going to wake up!"

"Oh, I'm so sorry! But don't lose hope just yet, hun, people wake from comas all the time, even when the doctor's doubt it's going to happen."

"Yeah... that's true..." she sighed. Her eyes went off me for a moment, and that's when I noticed it.

_Woah! Right there! There was something in her eyes... something's up... _I continued staring at her for a few moments, and she blushed._ There it is again, in her eyes! They don't normally do that... is she lying to me? _"When was the car crash?" I asked.

"A couple days ago. It looked like he was going to wake up pretty soon, but the doctor's started having their doubts yesterday." She replied confidently.

I smirked. _There's the Rachel I know, always the fast improviser. But she's definitely lying, I could hear it in her voice that time, too. Why is she lying? Just to find another excuse to talk to me, so I can't reject her like last time? Oh god, she's still in love with me. I knew it! I should be happy about this, but this is so wrong! This was a pretty smart idea though, especially considering she's a good enough actress to actually pull off a lie like this... if she was lying to anyone else, at least... alright, I'll play along. _"If it's only been a couple days, I wouldn't worry yet. I'm sure he'll wake up soon."

She nodded sadly. "But, there's nothing we can do about it now. It's all in fate's hands..."

_She obviously wants to change the topic so I can't catch her lying. _"Yeah, but I'm sure you two have great memories together, right?"

Her eyes lit up as she noticed the opportunity I provided her, and immediately launched into a detailed story of how he had saved her 8th birthday party. Eventually, the conversation topic shifted into what I was like as a kid, so I told her all about my sister and I when we were growing up. Just as I finished my story, the school bell rang, signalling the start of first period. _I have a prep period, but doesn't she have to go to class now?_

As if reading my mind, she quickly blurted out, "I have a spare right now." She seemed to be telling the truth, but I wasn't positive. When I raised an eyebrow, she nodded, "Honestly!" and gave me a genuine smile.

_Okay, I think she's telling the truth. I love how I already know her that well... like we're already lovers..._

Rachel took this break in the conversation as her opportunity to ask about Terri and our divorce. I told her that nothing had really changed since the last time we spoke, I hadn't even heard from Terri since that text message she had sent me a few days prior. Eventually, the conversation led to all the things I wish I could have done differently in my life – the things I might have done with my life if I had never married Terri. I had just finished telling her about my childhood dream of performing on Broadway when she took a deep breath in and said gently, "Okay, just listen to me for a second, Mr. Schue. I know you've gone through a lot recently and it seems like your entire life is falling apart right now, but it'll get better. Really, it will! Now that Terri's gone, you can do whatever you want with your life. Broadway might not be as far away as it seems, you are an incredibly talented performer." _It seemed like obvious advice to give, yet for some reason, I had never bothered to think of things that way... _Under her breath, just loud enough for me to hear, she muttered, "I should know, considering the song you sang to me to try to get me to forget about you ended up doing exactly the opposite..." I smiled. _Somehow, hearing those words leave her mouth doesn't seem as wrong anymore. I mean, if she has feelings for me and I'm simply reciprocating them, that's totally normal, right? Wow, if I had tried to convince myself of that a few days ago, it never would've worked. Maybe Rachel's advice is actually having an effect on me..._ She cleared her throat and continued in her normal voice, "So, it might seem like you've wasted your entire life, but you really haven't. You have your whole life ahead of you, and there's still time to make it whatever you want."

I smiled as I looked deep into her eyes. "Thank you, Rachel. Honestly. I think that was exactly what I needed to hear right now." She grinned at me. I'm not sure how long we just sat there, staring at each other and grinning like fools, but I finally broke the silence, "Well, enough about me. How are you? Besides, the thing with your Dad, I mean. Are you... dating Finn yet?"

She chuckled and shook her head. "Nah, he's still too pissed off at Quinn and Puck to even be thinking about other girls yet. Not that I'm upset really, I don't think we were ever that great a match to begin with... And before you ask, no, I'm not dating anyone else right now, either."

It was a little scary how happy I was to hear that she was still single. "I wouldn't worry about that. Soon, a guy will come along who will be a perfect match for you, who loves you just the way you are..."

"Yeah... I think there will..."

Suddenly, the bell rang, taking us both out of our daydream. _Wow, is first period already over? Alright, I guess we both have to get to class now..._ "Will, wait!" she said before I could stand up. I paused; I was pretty sure that was the first time she had ever called me by my first name before. It sounded so... natural, as if she wasn't my student, and I wasn't her teacher. We were just two people trying to figure out life. "You knew, didn't you?" she asked, obviously referring to her lie.

I chuckled. "Yeah, I did. Figured it out pretty early, actually."

She sighed. "So I guess I'm not as good an actress as I thought I was?"

"Hey! I never said that! You are very talented, Rach, and I think anyone else would've believed you. I guess I just know you better than that..."

She seemed to approve of this answer. As we were walking out the door, I put my arm around her and squeezed her far shoulder. She wouldn't make eye contact with me, but I could still see her blush. I watched her walk down the hallway to her next class. When she was halfway down, she stopped in her tracks and turned around to see me grinning at her. She smiled back, then kept walking. But, as great as our conversation had been, there was still a bad feeling in my stomach that I couldn't ignore – the feeling that there was still something wrong that I could fix. As soon as I entered my classroom, it came to me. I quickly gave an assignment to my class and ran back to my office. After I did a quick Google search for a phone number, I dialled it and waited as I was put on hold.

Finally, a voice answered the phone. "Sparkman Law Firm, divorce and custody lawyers. How can I help you?"

"Yes, I'd like to hire a divorce lawyer, please."


	6. Chapter 6

**Wow, it's been a while! I am truly sorry for the long wait; I thought I knew where the story was going, but it wasn't working for me, so I just gave up. I wouldn't have bothered trying again if it weren't for my friend Kathryn, so this one's for her**

**Oh, and I also take back what I said earlier about this story only having 7 chapters; there will definitely be more than that. Please review, constructive criticism and encouragement is always appreciated!**

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Chapter 6 – Rachel POV

I felt like I was on Cloud 9 for the rest of the day. Right after I had left Will's office, I made a quick stop at my locker to grab my books. _That conversation with Will this morning had gone incredibly!_ _Will... what a sexy name. So much better than 'Mr. Schue', ugh. That makes him sound so much older than he is. Even if my lie didn't work out exactly how I wanted it to, the whole thing was still perfect. It sucks that we don't have glee rehearsal tonight, but I guess that's okay. I probably wouldn't want to jinx anything so early in the relationship, right? I won't even go talk to him after school today; let's let him do the chasing, for once._

I was so deep in thought that I barely noticed Mercedes, Kurt, Tina, and Artie approach me. "Why, hello there!" I greeted them enthusiastically. "How are my fellow glee-clubbers doing on this fine morning?"

The four of them glanced at each other nervously, then Tina nudged Kurt, urging him to say something. "Rachel, are you okay? The last time you were this giddy was when Mr. Schue's crazy wife fed us all those happy pills, and we really can't afford another situation like that with Regionals coming up... So whatever you're doing, just stop."

I laughed, maybe a little too nervously. "What? That's ridiculous! I'm not on any drugs, I just happen to be having a good day. Is that a crime now?"

"Um... well... it's just that-" Tina started.

"Sorry, glee-clubbers! I've got to get to class, see you at rehearsal tomorrow!" I quickly locked my locker and walked purposefully to my classroom on the other end of the hallway. _Uh oh, that was close. If anyone found out the reason I was so happy... I don't even know what would happen! It would just be bad news for both of us, for sure._

The rest of the day was a bit of a blur; daydreaming through all my classes, floating through the hallways. I managed to get home without being tempted to go see Will again, _playing hard-to-get will just make him want more_.

The first thing I noticed as I pushed my front door open was that it was oddly silent. Usually, I would come home to the sounds and smells of my dads cooking while they talked and laughed about their day. I suddenly remembered that this was one of the random days that they both had late meetings; it only happened about once a month. _Thank god they're not home, the last thing I need right now is them tempting me to tell them all about Will. We usually tell each other everything, but that's one secret I need to keep to myself._

I fixed myself dinner and ate quickly, hoping I would have time to sing and record a song about my feelings after I finished my homework, but these plans were forgotten as I noticed the mail sitting on the counter. Sticking out from the middle of the pile was a large envelope, which I realized had my name on it when I pulled it out from under the rest of the mail. One look at the return address and I squealed; _it's the letter I've been waiting for!_ I tore it open furiously, skimmed over the letter as fast as I could, then celebrated by dancing around my kitchen for what seemed like hours. _Yes, I knew it! Ohmigod, this is the best day ever!_ When I had finally tired myself out, I sat down to contemplate who to tell first. Of course, my dads would want to know, but at that moment, there was only one person who needed to know. I knew he would be just as ecstatic as I was when he heard my good news. Immediately, I forgot all about playing "hard-to-get." I grabbed my coat as I scribbled a quick "I'm going to Mercedes' house for an important glee rehearsal and I might just sleep over there if it gets too late. Love, Rachel," note and headed out the door, wonderful envelope in hand.

As I jumped into my car, I tried to remember the way to Will's house. It had been around two months since Terri had invited me over to cook dinner for them, _god, was that ever a disaster. At least there won't be any 'other woman' at his place this time. _

I pulled into the parking lot of his apartment building after 10 minutes and had to keep myself from running up the stairs to his place. My heart was beating furiously, faster even then when I performed my solo at Sectionals. Suddenly, I began to consider everything that could go wrong with this idea. _What if he doesn't want me at his place so quickly? What if he changed his mind about us again? What if he wants to sleep with me and I don't think I'm ready?_ As I walked down the hallway to his apartment, I considered backing out for about a millisecond, that is, until I reached his door. I could hear voices coming from inside, loud ones, but I assumed Will was just watching TV or something. _Alright, here goes nothing._ I knocked loudly, and the voices stopped mid-sentence. _Okay... maybe those voices weren't on the TV. _

The door swung open suddenly; I barely had time to register who it was before the woman screamed, "I knew it, you little slut!" and slapped me across the face. _What the hell?_


	7. Chapter 7

**NOTE: This chapter starts right after chapter 5. Yes, I cheated my own format, so sue me**

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Chapter 7 – Will POV

I could barely focus on anything for the rest of the day, too caught up with the sudden turn my life had taken, I guess. When I called the divorce law firm and explained my situation, they said I could come to their offices later that week to get the papers printed, and then they would deliver them to Terri. I knew she would be pissed when she got them, _how could she not be?_ But, I also knew that she had done this to herself, her attempts to keep me from leaving had just ended up pushing me away, and once it was over, there would be no regrets. In order to prevent her from coming to the school and murdering me when she got the divorce papers, I gave her a call on her cell to let her know the papers were coming. Luckily, I didn't have to actually talk to her. I got her voicemail, so I could just say what I needed to say without giving her the opportunity to try and talk me out of it. It was too late anyways, she had her chance and she screwed it up.

Considering this was Terri we were talking about, I suppose I should have predicted what came next. After I got home from school, all I had time to do was grab a beer and the newspaper, then flop down on the couch before she stormed in the apartment furiously, slamming the door behind her.

"William Alexander Schuester! What is the meaning of this?" She pressed a button on her cell phone and I could hear the sound of my voice coming from it. Enraged, she glared at me as the message I had left her was playing. When it was finished, she closed her phone, slipped it into her purse, and went back to glaring at me, waiting for me to answer.

I took a deep breath, then replied calmly, "Nice to see you too, Terri. I see you got my message. I booked an appointment with the divorce law firm for later this week. I figured you would refuse to accompany me, so you'll just get the papers after that, and then you can hire your attorney. Nothing you can say will change my mind about this."

"What? You can't be serious! Will, it hasn't even been 2 weeks since you found out about my fake pregnancy. Please... just take some more time to think about it?"

I stiffened at the mention of my baby, the one that never even existed. I laughed bitterly in an attempt to hide my emotions, and the hurt immediately entered her eyes. "Hmm... more time to think about it? No, Terri, I don't think I will take more time to think about it. How much time did it take you to decide you were going to _lie_ to your husband about one of the most important things in a marriage, just string him along until finally your lie got too big to hide and _everything_ just came crashing down and he... he couldn't..." I couldn't hold it in anymore; the tears were starting to escape as I tried not to make eye-contact.

Although I wasn't looking straight at her, I could tell that for the first time since she got here, Terri actually looked sorry. "I... I know, Will. I know what I did was terrible, and I am so, so sorry. I never meant to hurt you. I... just felt like I was losing you and-"

I cut her off, "Oh, so faking a pregnancy was going to fix that? Did you actually think that I wasn't going to find out that the baby wasn't mine, wasn't either of ours? It was my _students'_ kid, I would've found out eventually!" I'd like to think I wasn't _that_ naive; after all, it had taken me quite a while to catch on to Terri's lie.

All of a sudden, I saw the familiar glint in her eyes. "Oh please, Will. You never would have found out; as soon as Quinn gave birth, I would've been in the clear. You only found out because you were snooping around in my stuff, which you hardly ever do anyways. Always the faithful husband, weren't you?" Her eyes widened suddenly. "No... of course you weren't, I know what this is about! There's another woman, isn't there? You're just trying to blame this all on me so you can get whatever you want out of the divorce, including a new mistress!"

Okay, now I was angry. "Terri, I never cheated on you! How can you even deny that this is all your fault? I didn't do anything wrong!"

"Don't give me that, there has to be another woman! It's that doe-eyed guidance counsellor, isn't it? I warned that bitch to stay away from my man, but I guess I wasn't really expecting her to listen... or is it that Berry girl, Rachel!" I bit my lip and my eyes drifted; I think she noticed. "It is her, isn't it? I knew I should have been more careful with that one, she was the first _attractive_ schoolgirl who liked you..." she mused to herself.

_Is that so? Well, two can play at this game._ "There is nothing going on between Rachel and I, Terri! I can't believe you would even suggest that, stop trying to blame the failure of our marriage on me! I-"

"Don't give me that bullshit, Will! I know you-"

We were both cut off by the sound of a loud knock on the door. _Crap, I hope whoever it is didn't hear too much of that argument..._

Terri strode briskly to the door, beating me to it. Once she opened it, I heard her scream, "I knew it, you little slut!" and the snap of her hand hitting something, probably the guest's face. _Oh no, there's only one person that could be. Shit, why is she here?_

I rushed to the door to find Rachel holding a large envelope in one hand and lightly touching her cheek with the other, tears dripping down her face. Terri was looking over her, grinning maniacally. As soon as Rachel made eye contact with me, she turned around and ran down the hallway, back towards the stairs. "Rachel, wait!" I called, but she made no action to show she had even heard me, so I sprinted after her. _This is my priority right now; I can deal with Terri later._ I caught up with her right at the top of the stairs.

When I softly grabbed her shoulder, she whipped around furiously. "What do you want, Will? Come to tell me that your wife isn't living with you anymore, that she's out of your life? Right, okay, sure. Please, just let me go now." When I kept my hand on her shoulder, she stared at it for a few seconds, and then physically removed it herself. I didn't have the energy to go after her; she probably wouldn't listen to me anyways.

Slowly, grudgingly, I walked back to my apartment to find Terri standing by the door. She chuckled when she saw me, "I see that went well."

"Shut the hell up."

"Have you screwed her yet? How was she? Better than me?" She scoffed. "Doubt it, I'll always be the best you ever had."

"Terri!" I roared.

"What, it's true! You'll never find a woman who can satisfy you as well as I did, I hope you realize that."

I glared at her, fuming, then grabbed her shoulders and looked her straight in the eye. "You and me are over," I spoke slowly and clearly, making sure she understood every syllable. "Forever. If your fake-pregnancy bullshit wasn't enough, slapping my student and calling her a slut sure was. Get the fuck out of my life, now."

I don't know what kind of reaction I was expecting, but all she did was give me that fake smile and say, "As you wish, William. See you around." With that, she grabbed her purse and opened the door. She shot me a smile and wink, then she was gone.

I would have laughed if I wasn't so frustrated with how the night had gone. _Right, okay Terri. As much as I hope you do live up to your word, I really doubt it'll happen. Not as long as Rachel's around, at least. Oh god, Rachel... I feel terrible about that, but there's nothing I can do about it right now. This can all wait until tomorrow..._ And with that, I collapsed on to my bed, trying not to think about the events of the night.


	8. Chapter 8

**Yay, this chapter's a long one (long for me, at least)! I can't make any promises on when the next chapter will be posted; I'm starting exams pretty soon, and then I have to give my laptop back to my school for the summer, so I'll have to bribe my mom to let me use hers. :(**

**Hey, you 58 people who have me on story alert? I see you, and I expect a review from each and every one of you, or there shall be consequences. Kthxbye. (and thanks for reading!)**

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Chapter 8 – Rachel POV

Fittingly enough, it had just started to rain as I walked out of Will's apartment building and got into my car. The original plan was to just drive away immediately, but I soon found that I was shaking too much to even fit the key into the ignition, so I just rested my head on the steering wheel and let the tears flow for a few minutes. _How could he do that to me? He told me Terri was gone, but obviously she's not. I hate him right now, I hate him so much. And yet... when I walked away, I still wish he had come chasing after me. I guess I shouldn't have really expected him to though; I think I made it pretty clear that I really didn't want to talk._ I glanced out the windshield just in time to see Terri walk briskly from the door of the apartment building to her car and speed away without noticing my car and I. _Okay, what does that mean? I guess she's not staying over at his apartment; that's a good sign, at least. And I did hear them yelling before I knocked on his door, but maybe they were just having another argument and they're still together. Or maybe not... maybe they did break up for good. But if they already broke up, why was she there in the first place? _After a while, I realized my mind was just running around in circles, so I took a couple more minutes to calm down and then drove home.

I walked through my front door, still not in the mood to talk to anyone. Of course, my dads wouldn't hear of it. _Makes sense, I guess. When was the last time I didn't want to talk about myself? _They both jumped up from where they were sitting at the kitchen table and starting questioning me when they heard me enter the house.

"Hey, honey! How was your day?" Michael exclaimed.

"So, you didn't sleep over at Mercedes' house? Where does she live? I don't think we've met her, have we?" James wondered.

Once they had both realized that they had asked me more than one question at once, they glanced at each other and started laughing. Ordinarily, I would've laughed too. In retrospect, I suppose I should've just faked it, for their sake, so they wouldn't suspect anything out of the ordinary. They noticed the difference in my demeanour immediately.

"Rach, are you okay, baby?"

"Something you want to talk about?"

"Bad day at school?"

"Something happen at Mercedes'?"

"Get slushied again?"

"Rest of the glee club jealous you're getting all the solos?"

As they both kept shooting me questions, I could feel my eyes well up. _This is the last thing I need right now. Please, just let me make it to my room before I crack!_

"I... I'm fine. Just really tired," I managed to choke out without letting my sobs take too much control over my voice. "We can talk in the morning, if you want."

They glanced at each other and I knew they both wanted to continue pressing me for answers, but thankfully, they resisted. James sighed, "Okay, honey. Goodnight," and I trudged up the stairs to my room.

_Shoot, I feel guilty about leaving them so confused like that, I really do. Normally, if I was having a bad day, they would both stay up with me all night, if necessary, giving me advice about whatever I needed. I wonder how I'm going to explain this one... _I tried to put the thoughts of my dads and Will and everything else out of my head, but I still fell asleep with all of it taking over my mind.

* * *

I woke up the next morning, earlier than usual, feeling as confused as ever. _Who made up that bullshit about your subconscious being able to solve all your problems while you slept?_ I got dressed quickly, making sure my hair and make-up were done to perfection, and went downstairs to see that neither of my dads were in the kitchen yet. _Perfect, I can avoid the interrogation for now, at least,_ so I put the envelope that had started this mess into my schoolbag _– I'm sure I can figure out a way to hint at the letter to some glee-clubbers today without making them too jealous and even more hateful –_ grabbed a bagel and coffee and headed out the door.

In order to get to my locker from the front door, I had to pass by Will's classroom and office. I had gotten into the habit of quickly looking into the window of both as I walked by, hoping to just get a glimpse of him marking tests, talking on the phone, or typing on his computer. Today was no exception, even though I was still mad. I glanced quickly through his window, not wanting him to see me. There he was, sorting through some papers on the desk in his classroom. He caught my eye for just a second with a sad smile before I ducked my head down and basically sprinted to my locker.

Once I got there, I collapsed onto the floor. _This sucks; does he not even feel sorry for what he did to me? You know what? Even if he does, I don't care. He is the _last_ person I want to see right now. _

My thoughts were interrupted by a familiar voice. "Hey, Rachel."

_Screw this. Fine, maybe Will is the second last person I want to see right now._ "What do you want, Jacob? I'm really not in the mood right now."

"Um... yeah, I kinda figured," Jacob Ben Israel replied nervously. "You don't really look so great. Anyways, I'm just here delivering a message from Mr. Schuester; he wants to see you in his office immediately."

I sighed. "Great. Thanks, Jacob. Goodbye."

_I'm really not in the mood for one of his half-assed apologies. Maybe I can fake a heart attack or something so I won't have to go see him._ I stayed sitting on the floor for another minute or so, then peeled myself off the back of my locker and headed towards Will's classroom, taking my schoolbag with me.

The door was ajar and he was pacing the length of his room. He didn't see me, so I just stood watching him for a few moments. Just staring at him was almost enough for me to forget my anger towards him, but not quite. Finally, I cleared my throat and he looked at me, the sad smile returning to his face.

"Hi... come in." The request came out as more of a question. "We need to talk."

"Does it matter if I don't want to? I have nothing to say to you." My tone was slightly bitchier than I had intended it to be, and he winced.

Immediately, Will was in front of me, his hands on my shoulders. "Look, I am so sorry about last night. Really, I am. Please, just let me explain."

His eyes were pleading with mine, so filled with emotion that I finally had to look away. "Fine, explain away."

He breathed a sigh of relief and began pacing again. I looked around awkwardly, not sure what to do. By the time he had started talking, I had perched myself on the front of his desk, completely aware of how far up my thighs my already-too-short skirt had risen up.

"After our conversation yesterday morning, I realized that I needed Terri out of my life immediately, so I hired a divorce lawyer. I called her to let her know, so she showed up at the apartment yesterday after school and basically begged me to take her back, and then tried to explain that it had been my fault, as well." I bit my lip. _Uh oh, is this the part where he tells me they're back together?_ He continued, "She had actually just accused me of cheating on her when you knocked on my door..." He chuckled with embarrassment.

"Oh shit, seriously? Wow, I'm really sorry, that must've been hard to defend..."

"No, no, don't apologize. I took care of it, but none of that matters anymore. Even though we're not officially divorced yet, we both know that we're over and nothing is going to change that." I smiled; there was a part of me that still wanted to be angry with him, but this feeling that had been so prominent last night was basically gone now. _It's funny how easily I forgive when it comes to him..._ I was about to mention the reason I had gone to see him in the first place when he started talking again. "But, that doesn't mean that... anything... can happen until the divorce is finalized." He paused to make sure I understood what he was implying; I nodded. "I just can't give Terri any reason to be suspicious of... anything... because she could end up using it against me in court."

I nodded gravely. "Of course. So... when do you anticipate the divorce being finalized?"

"Oh god, I have no idea... definitely before the summer, I would think. That actually works out perfectly; we can have the entire summer together, away from Sue and Figgins and... anyone else..."

I chuckled nervously. "Um... actually, we can't." He raised an eyebrow. "That's actually why I came your apartment; I got this in the mail last night and I wanted you to be the first to know."

I pulled the opened envelope from my schoolbag and handed it to him. When he saw the return address, he whistled, clearly impressed, then quickly but gently removed the papers from inside as he realized what it was. "Dear Ms. Rachel Berry," he read, "We are pleased to inform you that your application to the _Julliard Summer Theatre Program_ has been accepted!" He cried excitedly. "Rachel, that's amazing! Do you know how hard it is to get into Juilliard, even just a summer program?"

I nodded eagerly. "Of course! The-" I stopped talking as I felt myself being lifted off the ground and spun around. I grinned; _I knew he would understand how big of a deal this was!_

When Will set me back on the ground, I was suddenly aware of how close his face was to mine. His breathing was a bit heavier than it had been a minute ago; if this was from the vigour of lifting me or not, I wasn't sure. _Wow, I think his eyes have gotten prettier since the last time I saw him!_ I wanted to say something sexy, but couldn't think of anything that would do this moment justice. And then, as quickly as the moment had come, it disappeared as Will cleared his throat and lightly pushed me away. He turned around and started walking around the classroom, something else clearly on his mind.

I sighed, trying to think of something to say that would break the awkward silence. "So... um, yeah, I'm really sorry that Juilliard is wrecking our summer plans now, but I do think it would be very beneficial for me to go, you know, to get further exposure to-"

He cut me off with an unexpected laugh. "Woah, woah, woah. Hold it right there. Is 'Ms. Rachel Berry' actually apologizing on behalf of her ever-so-great desire for fame? Wow, isn't this new?" he teased.

I blushed. "Well, yeah, I guess. I mean, I really wish I could see you this summer too, and you just seemed so excited about it... So you're not mad or anything?"

He smiled, but it was hard to tell if the emotion behind it was happiness, sadness, or a bit of both. "Of course not. I'm your biggest fan, Rachel. I always have been. Don't ever forget it."

"Thank you," I replied softly.

And with that, the bell signalling the start of first period rang. Students were already starting to fill up the classroom, so I gave Will a quick wave as I was leaving, then a wink over my shoulder. He smiled back kindly, holding my eye-contact for a few more seconds than was absolutely necessary, then looked away to address his class. When I walked out into the hallway, I resisted the urge to dance.


	9. Chapter 9

**I know it's been a while, so this chapter is a bit longer than most. I'm almost done exams, so hopefully I can update more frequently soon. A special thanks to all my reviewers, it looks like my last threat actually worked! Thanks for reading, and please review!**

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Chapter 9 – Will POV

Terri's always said my biggest fault is how I always feel guilty about everything that happens, whether it's my fault or not. Fitting that she would be the one to tell me this, considering I don't think she's ever felt guilty about anything in her entire life. If it wasn't about her and her issues, it was about my parents and how my sister would never take responsibility for them, or Glee Club and Sue's never-ending drive to destroy it. Now, it was about Rachel. As if I wasn't feeling guilty enough as it was, talking to Terri last night and Rachel this morning were just fuelling the fire.

Have you screwed her yet?_ Terri's words have been haunting me since last night, but I can't even place my finger on exactly why. I mean, it's not like I... I would ever... would ever... not... want to... it's just that when she brought it up, it reminded me, once again, how young Rachel is. She's still got her whole life ahead of her; she's going to Juilliard, for god's sake! I would hate to be the reason she doesn't achieve her dreams. Dammit, why do I always have to be the one with a conscience? _

Once again, I had convinced myself that this relationship was wrong. That is, until I saw her again the next day. When we passed each other in the hallway before second period, she smiled brightly and winked before heading to her next class, a new bounce in her step. That was when it hit me. _She wants this just as much as I do. Why do I always have to be the good guy, the only one with a moral code, and nothing good can ever come out of it? It's been happening my whole life, and I'm fucking sick of it. Don't I deserve happiness as much as the next guy? Why shouldn't I give in to the one thing that could make me happy right now?_ It was funny that this would be the moment that caused my revelation; I seemed to be having lots of them lately. The only hesitation I now had was the lingering fear that we could get caught eventually. We hadn't even starting anything yet, but the thought was already digging into the back of my mind. After the next glee rehearsal was the first time we, or maybe just I, experienced the exhilarating panic of just what exactly we were getting ourselves into.

* * *

I walked into the choir room briskly, already a couple minutes late for rehearsal. All the kids were already there, talking quietly to each other or texting on their phones, but they stopped immediately after I entered and stood before them.

"Hey guys, how was your week?" They mumbled a response. "Great. Okay, so at Sectionals, I realize you guys were in a bit of a crisis and had to come up with two new numbers on the spot. You guys did a great job, congratulations again, but I've noticed that it seems to always be the same people getting all the solos." My eyes drifted towards Rachel unintentionally, who raised an eyebrow, subconsciously asking me where I was going with this. I ignored it and continued, "So, for Regionals, I've decided to give other people a chance at solos who don't normally get them, starting with Santana." She grinned as I said her name. "I found a song that has small parts for everybody, but I think the solo would be perfect for your vocal range. Shall we give it a try?"

I started handing out sheet music. When I got to Rachel, she hissed, "What the hell is this, _Mr. Schuester_?"

I paused. Though it had only been a few days, it already sounded strange hearing her call me 'Mr. Schuester' again. "I'm just trying to give everyone a fair chance, Rachel. It's all part of being a good teacher." I replied smoothly.

She rolled her eyes, but didn't reply. The only response I got was her crossing her legs tighter as she started to hum her part. _I knew she wouldn't be too happy about this, but it's my job to treat everyone equally. If I started to obviously favour her, that would just lead to suspicion and then..._ I quickly pushed the thought out of my head.

For the rest of the glee rehearsal, Rachel made it very clear to me that she wanted the solo. Even though she was just singing background vocals, she sang so loudly that Santana had to struggle to compete with her. Whenever I looked over at Rachel, she just smiled sweetly and sang even louder. Santana's voice wasn't strong enough for it; I knew she would just wreck her vocal cords if she tried any harder, so I dismissed the club early. Rachel tried to sneak out quickly, but I called her back before she could escape.

She strode back into the room, as confident as ever. "What seems to be the problem, Mr. Schuester?" She asked innocently.

I rolled my eyes at her use of my last name again. "You know perfectly well what the problem is, Ms. Berry."

Now it was her turn to roll her eyes. "I know why you're doing this."

"Do you? Good, then it shouldn't be an issue, right?"

"Except for the fact that I wanted that solo."

"Well, you can't always get what you want."

She quickly closed the distance between us and whispered sexily into my ear. "Oh? Can't I?"

I chucked. "No, you can't."

"And why's that?" She asked as she slowly ran her hands up my arms.

I smiled. Her arms were now wrapped around my neck. "Quite a few reasons, actually," I lowered my head so it was the same height as hers; my lips were now almost touching her ear. "You've been a very bad girl, Rachel Berry," I whispered huskily into her ear. She shivered.

"Is that so? What are you gonna do about it?"

I smirked. _I could have way too much fun with this._ "Well..." I wrapped my arms around her waist, just barely lifting up the back of her shirt and trailing my fingers across her back; I could feel her muscles react under them. "For one... that piano bench looks like it could make a pretty comfortable makeshift bed."

Her eyes widened and I snickered. Suddenly, there was a noise in the hallway; it sounded like someone falling. This was all it took to break me out of my trance and remind me of the possible consequences of what we were doing. "Just kidding, babe," I whispered in her ear again. "Oh, and you're still not getting the solo." With that, I let her go, grabbed my bag from beside the piano and headed towards the door, glancing at her devilishly before I left the room.

* * *

In just one short week, it was Christmas Break. While the rest of the faculty was just as excited for the holiday as the students, I had been dreading it. Over the past few weeks, I had been using school, particularly Glee Club, as my distraction from Terri and our pending divorce. I wasn't sure what I was going to do without it for two whole weeks. Not only that, but this was going to be the first Christmas I spent without her. Christmas had been one of our longest lasting traditions, dating back to our college days. Every year, we would spend Christmas Eve with my family and Christmas Day with hers. Our families never got along very well, so we figured it would be easier on all of us to just celebrate the holidays separately with each. This year, my parents had gone to visit my grandmother in Wisconsin, so spending Christmas with them wasn't going to be an option. It looked like I would have to get through it alone.

As I was reminiscing about all of this a couple days before Christmas, I realized how long it had been since I had talked to my parents. So long, in fact, that I hadn't even told them about Terri and I yet. _Crap, this is one conversation I've been trying to put off for as long as I can, but I suppose it's just getting ridiculous now. I need to do this._

My mother answered the phone after two rings. "Helloooo?" She sang with a slight slur.

_Aw shit, she's been drinking again._ "Hey Mom! How are you?"

"Oh, I'm just great! Wisconsin's great... your grandmother's great... we're all just great..." She giggled.

"That's excellent, Mom," _I'd better not break the news to her right now, there's no telling how she'll react. Either way, she'll probably just forget by tomorrow._ "Is Dad there?"

"Oh, yes, I'll call him for you. It was great to hear your voice again, honey, you should call more often!"

I assured her I would, so she gave my dad the phone. "Hello, son, how are you?"

"Um... not great... that's actually why I'm calling. There's something I need to tell you and Mom."

"Oh no! Is it about the baby? Is she okay?"

I chuckled awkwardly. "Right... there is no baby."

"I don't understand. What do you mean, 'no baby'?"

I explained the situation to my father as calmly as I could while trying to also keep him calm. When I refused his offer to lend me money to pay for the lawyer and everything else that came with divorce, he assured me that he would tell my mother when she had sobered up a bit.

"Okay, Will, let me know if there's anything else I can help you with. I love you, son."

"Thanks Dad, will do. I love you too." I set the phone down on the kitchen table and collapsed on the couch. _Oh god, this is going to be a long two weeks._

* * *

Christmas Day started out the hardest. I had barely slept all night, causing me to wake up with a massive migraine. Two extra-strength Advils and a glass of water later and I was moping around the apartment, trying to find a distraction. I just happened to look over at the DVDs stacked haphazardly beside the TV, my eyes resting on one in particular, when the memories all came flooding back.

The movie_ It's a Wonderful Life_ had also been one of Terri and my many Christmas traditions. After we came back from dinner with our parents, either one or both of us would surely be in a bad mood, so we would just pop the movie in to help us feel better. It had never failed me in the past, so I decided to try once again. I had only got half an hour into the movie before I had to turn it off. I hadn't realized just how many memories I had associated with this movie; it was like every scene reminded me of a different period in my relationship with Terri. _Why did I even start watching this in the first place? I'm supposed to be trying to forget about Terri, not doing every possible thing that reminds me of her! Damn, where's Rachel when I need her? Hmm, I do still have her number in my phone from when I made all the Glee kids give them to me before Sectionals..._

I reached for the phone, but stopped myself before I could dial her number. _What the hell are you doing? It's Christmas Day, she's probably spending it with her family; you have no right to disturb her!_ Eventually, I managed to convince myself that I only needed to talk to her for a couple minutes, but if she was even remotely busy, I would hang up and try to figure everything out myself.

She picked up the phone before I realized it had even started ringing. "Hey Will, Merry Christmas!" She greeted me cheerfully.

I smiled; the tears were threatening to fall again. "Hey Rach. Um... Merry Christmas to you too."

She became alarmed immediately, probably due to my tone of voice. "Will, what's wrong? Is everything okay?"

"Um... yeah... yeah, everything's fine. I just wanted to talk, if that's okay. Do you have a minute, or are you busy with your family? Because if you are, that's fine, I don't want you to be missing out-"

"I'm coming over," She interrupted. "You're at home?"

"What? Rachel, no, you don't have to do that."

"But, I want to."

"No, it's okay-"

She cut me off again. "I'll be there in 10," she replied, then quickly hung up.

I sighed and set the phone down on the coffee table. _Great, now I feel like crap, and I feel guilty for making her come all the way over here when she should be spending time with her family._ I started pacing around the apartment again when I realized what a mess it had become in the past few days. Hastily, I started to clean and rearrange various things in the apartment, but realized how futile my attempts were and passed out on the couch once again.

I had almost fallen asleep when I heard keys fumbling outside, then the door opening. _Wait, what? Do I even want to know how she has a key to my apartment?_ All of a sudden, Rachel was standing over me, her face the very picture of concern and sadness. _Damn, I don't think I've shaved in a couple days either... I probably look like crap. _I scooted over on the couch and she dropped her purse and got onto the couch to lay beside me, her back pressing into my chest. I wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her even closer to me, running my other hand through her dark, wavy hair.

_I'd rather not give her an explanation on why I'm so miserable... but I suppose I should say something._ "I... I don't... really want to talk right now, if that's okay."

"I know," she whispered.

And then, without warning, it all came spilling out. "I guess I just haven't really figured out how to live without Terri yet. It's only been a couple weeks, hell, we're not even divorced yet, but it seems like she's been gone for so much longer. I just can't believe it's over..." As soon as I said it, I was filled with regret._ Right, because this is what you should be telling your new girlfriend. I mean, friend who's a girl? I don't know; whatever she is. Isn't that one of the first rules of dating, to not mention your ex? God, I have no idea what I'm doing!_

She was silent for a few moments, then asked softly, "Do you miss her?"

I sighed. "No. Well... I don't know. Yes, I do, but I miss the girl I fell in love with in high school, not the monster she's turned into now. I don't even know who she is anymore."

She nodded. "Yeah... people sure have a funny way of disappointing you, don't they? Nothing ever really turns out the way you expect it to."

"It's true. I guess you just have to take everything in stride and keep looking forward."

"Exactly, starting now." She jumped up from the couch, taking my hand and pulling me up with her. "Go get dressed, we're going out." I raised an eyebrow, but she ignored it. "And you might want to shave too..." she added, running her hand across my cheek.

I laughed. "Okay, okay."

Just then, her cellphone rang. She bit her lip as she reached into her purse to answer it. "Hey Dad. Yeah... yeah... sure, okay, I'll be right there. Okay, bye." She hung up her phone and looked over at me sadly.

"Change of plans?" I guessed.

"Yeah, sorry. I should go."

I nodded. "Right... okay." I started walking her to the door of the apartment, but before we got there, I reached for her hand. "Wait."

She turned around, "Yeah?"

"Thank you," I smiled. "You really didn't have to come all the way out here, but I'm glad you did."

"I know," she replied coyly, "It was my pleasure, really."

I took a deep breath, and then slowly closed the gap between us, my lips softly touching hers. It was barely more than a peck, but it felt so incredible, so right. I pulled away and opened my eyes to see her grinning back at me.

"Um... right... bye, Will," she stammered as she put on her shoes, smiling back at me before she opened the door and left.


	10. Chapter 10

**So much for updates coming much faster now that I was done exams, right? Anyways, the next chapter will probably take about 2 weeks, considering I'm on vacation for this week and then volunteering and doing Driver's Ed. next week. Please review!**

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Chapter 10 – Rachel POV

After my small meltdown in front of my dads, the night I saw Terri at Will's, I had been trying to avoid them as much as possible. I had promised that I would explain everything to them later, but I knew that that couldn't happen. Although my dads had been my best, and sometimes only, friends for my entire life, my relationship with Will was one thing that had to stay a secret. Unfortunately, I knew I wouldn't be able to avoid talking about it forever.

* * *

"Hey, I'm home," I sang as I skipped through the front door after another day of school. They greeted me warmly, asking about my day and how glee club went, the usual questions. I replied quickly and vaguely, then mentioned my massive amounts of homework before dashing up the stairs.

"Wait!" James called. "Come back downstairs!"

I sighed and strode back down the stairs. _Let's just pretend I have no idea what they want to talk to me about..._ "What's up?"

"Well, James and I were talking, and we realized that you never told us why you were so upset the other day," Michael explained.

"You know, that night you were at Mercedes' house for an impromptu glee rehearsal or something," James continued.

I chuckled, trying to make it seem as genuine as possible, though I was freaking out in my head. "Right, of course I remember that night!" I quickly wracked my brain for a good excuse. "I-I-was just upset because Mr. Schuester gave one of the solos in Glee to Mercedes instead of me. But, everything's just fine now; he made it up to me afterwards by giving me a different solo."

Michael and James glanced at each other; I wasn't sure if either of them believed my lie but I kept a completely straight face anyways. Finally, Michael broke the silence. "Right, okay… makes sense. So, everything's okay now?"

I nodded confidently. "Of course, I'm the star of Glee Club, I'm going to Juilliard for the summer, everything's perfect! Can I go up to my room now? I really should get started on all my homework; I don't want to be up all night."

"Yes, I suppose so. Just call down if you need anything." James replied.

"Will do!" I called as I headed back up the stairs.

"Oh, and Rachel?" Michael called. I turned around at the top of the stairs to face him and James. "You know that if anything's ever wrong, no matter how small, or you just need to talk, we'll both always be here for you, right?"

I nodded as I started to feel my eyes well up. "Yes, of course. Thank you," I replied and walked down the hallway towards my room. As soon as I got there, I collapsed onto my bed, the tears starting to flow out. _I hate lying to them! They've done nothing but be completely amazing to me my entire life, always offering the best advice, and now, starting this relationship with Will could be one of the most important things I'll ever do, and I can't even tell them! I can't, right? No, of course I can't! It's way too risky, this is almost illegal anyways. No one knows except Will and I, and that's how it needs to stay._

* * *

Will and Terri got officially divorced a couple weeks after Christmas. The hearing was on a Friday afternoon, so Will had taken part of the day off school. He assured me that he would call as soon as it was over, but it didn't stop me from worrying about it all afternoon. It had me so distracted that I actually forgot to sign my name with a gold star once or twice. I just hoped that everything was going okay at the hearing and Terri wasn't being too much of a bitch, demanding privileges she didn't deserve.

At the end of the school day, I still hadn't gotten a call, or even a text, from him. _Relax, that doesn't matter. The hearing's probably not over yet; it doesn't mean there's anything wrong._ I closed my locker to see Quinn Fabray standing beside me, waiting to talk to me. _Oh shit, what does she want? I don't think we've spoken a word to each other since I told Finn the truth about her baby!_ I braced myself for a slushie facial or another type of punishment, but she just sighed.

"Look, Rachel, I'm not here to slushie you or anything. I just… um… wanted to talk. Is that such a crime?"

"What? Really? Well, I suppose it's not a crime, but forgive me for being confused. I'm pretty sure this is one of the only times you've ever talked to me without calling me 'man-hands', 'treasure-trail,' or something else of the sort."

Quinn rolled her eyes. "Yeah, whatever, I know we've had our differences in the past, but can we just get over that now? Do you want to… um, maybe get some coffee or something tonight?"

I'm pretty sure my mouth actually gaped open at her request, judging by her second eye roll, but I couldn't be too sure. "Really? Are you serious? You're not 'punking' me or setting me up for utter humiliation or anything?"

She sighed exasperatedly. "As hard as it may be to believe, no, I'm not; my motivations are completely innocent. Look, I really didn't want to say this, but I don't really have any friends anymore. All the Cheerios have abandoned me and I've driven Finn away, so you're my only option right now. Besides, it's not like you have any friends either, I can't imagine you'd be doing anything better on a Friday night."

_Don't give in, Rachel! This girl has made your life a living hell since middle school, you don't owe her anything!_ "Wow, that was harsh, but true, I suppose. Still, what makes you think I would want to hang out with my former tormentor?"

She sighed. "Yeah… I know it's hard for you to forgive me, I don't really expect forgiveness right now anyways, it's just that…" Her hands drifted towards her slightly-apparent baby belly. "I'm clearly going through some major stuff right now and I don't really have anyone to talk to. I can't imagine your life has been very easy either; it must be difficult to talk about some stuff with your dads…" She looked into my eyes sadly and I bit my lip.

"Yeah, okay, you're right. About all of it. _Starbucks_?" I asked, and we walked out of the school together awkwardly.

* * *

"So… um… how are things going with Finn? I keep expecting to see you at his house, but you've never showed." Quinn asked cautiously when we were both sitting at a table in _Starbucks_, a decaf vanilla latté in my hand and an orange-mango smoothie in hers.

I resisted the urge to burst out laughing. _Oh, how things have changed in the past few weeks._ "Things with Finn are basically non-existent. I've barely even spoken to him since Sectionals. I'm totally over him." She raised an eyebrow. "Honestly! I'm… I'm really sorry about telling Finn the truth about your baby's daddy; I guess it really didn't help anybody…"

"No, please don't apologize. Like I said before, you were right to tell him. I should've told him earlier, but I just didn't have the guts. It doesn't matter what your motivations were; it's just good that everything's out in the open."

"Right, okay. So, speaking of Finn, how are you and him? Has he started talking to you or Puck yet?"

"No, not really; he's still really angry at both of us. I can't blame him, obviously, but it makes living with Finn and his mom, Carole, really difficult and awkward… I know Carole would never kick me out, she's a good person, but I feel so guilty every time I walk into that house…"

_Oh my god, it all makes sense now. Quinn's just being nice to me in order to find another place to live, since she fucked up with Finn. I guess it is her fault, but I can't help feeling bad for her, especially since part of it is my fault. Dammit, why do I have to be such a kind and generous person?_ "Yeah, I can imagine how hard that must be. Um… would you… uh, maybe like to… to move in with my dads and I?"

Quinn actually looked shocked at my request; I have to commend her for her superb acting skills. "Wow, really? Um… I'm not sure, that would be better than living at Finn's, I suppose… can I get back to you on that? I'll have to see what Carole thinks. Thank you so much for the offer though, really, that's so nice." She gave me a genuine smile and I couldn't help but smile back. "But, enough about me. How are you doing? I know Mr. Schue thought the slushie facials and tormenting and whatever would stop after we won Sectionals, but let's be realistic. Has anything actually changed for you guys?"

"Well… no, not really. It's not a big deal for me anymore though. I have slushie clean-up down to an art; I can wash up, change, and do my makeup in 3 minutes flat."

She chuckled. "Impressive! I really wish I could help you guys, but clearly I don't have any power with the jocks and Cheerios anymore."

_I can't tell if she's faking sympathy or not…_ "Okay, I have to ask. Why are you being so nice all of a sudden? Not just to me, but Mercedes and Kurt and Artie and everyone else that you wouldn't be caught dead talking to a couple months ago."

She bit her lip and her eyes drifted downwards to her lap for a few seconds, then she looked up to make eye-contact with me. "I guess… well, just so much has changed for me in the past few months. If someone had told me at the beginning of the year where I'd be now, I probably would've just rolled my eyes and then written bitchy comments about them on the bathroom wall. Now, I realize what it's like to be on the other side of the bullying and it feels like crap. The people I thought were my friends clearly only liked me because I was popular, and now that my popularity's gone, so are they. I just really hope you can all forgive me someday, even though I know I don't deserve it."

I nodded. "Yeah, I think you'll find that people like us Glee-clubbers are much more forgiving than your Cheerios friends were."

She laughed. "Oh, I'm sure. I don't think anyone can hold a grudge longer than those bitches." She glanced down at her watch. "Crap, I should get going before Carole starts to worry." We both stood up and threw our cups in the trash. "Thanks a lot for coming out with me tonight, Rachel. This was a lot of fun."

"It was no problem at all, we should do this again sometime, and my offer for you to come live with me still stands."

"Right, I'll get back to you on that. See you on Monday?"

"For sure, bye!"

As I drove out of the parking lot and onto the highway, I couldn't help feeling overjoyed. _This is great! Quinn and I are friends and she might even be moving in with me! I can't believe I ever doubted her intentions; all she wants is to be loved and accepted again. I really hope this all goes well._

Suddenly, my phone rang and my heart nearly stopped. I managed to grab my phone out of my pocket and glance at the caller ID: _Will Schuester_. I knew talking on the phone while driving increased my risk of an accident by 30%, but I couldn't resist the temptation; I had been waiting for him to call all afternoon!

"Hello?"

"Hey, stranger!" He greeted me warmly.

"Why, hello there. How did everything go today?"

"Just perfectly, Terri was surprisingly cooperative. I suppose that considering her lies were the reason for divorce, there wasn't really much she could say in her defense."

"So how much did she get?"

"She gets to keep all the money she makes from her part-time job and _Sheets & Things_, plus I let her keep all the _Pottery Barn_ crap she bought on my credit card."

I laughed. "Well, that's awfully generous of you."

"I suppose, but it's not like I would do anything with it besides burning it, anyways."

"Um… yeah, so speaking of generosity, guess who I went on a coffee date with this afternoon."

"What? Who?" His voice immediately became jealous and slightly defensive. I grinned.

"Chill, it wasn't another guy or anything. Quinn Fabray, actually."

"No way, really? What did Quinn want with you?"

"She doesn't really have any friends now that she's pregnant and Finn's still mad at her. I guess she just wanted someone to talk to."

"And she came to you? Wow, I don't know who I'm more surprised by, Quinn or you for actually agreeing to meet up with her, considering she's been nothing but evil to you for years."

"Oh, and the generosity doesn't stop there!" He laughed. "She's still living with Finn and his mom, but since things are really awkward between them now, I invited her to move in with me."

"Wow! Rachel, I'm really impressed!"

"So, you think it was the right thing to do? I mean, she really seemed like she had turned a new leaf when we were talking at _Starbucks_, but I don't know if I should trust her yet. Like you said, she's been pretty evil to me for years."

"I don't know; she really needs a friend right now, Rach. While I don't think she's completely changed, I think this could be really good for both of you; you two are exactly what the other needs."

"Yeah, I suppose. Thanks. Okay, I'm home now, I should go."

"Okay. But wait, do you… um, maybe want to come over tomorrow night?"

I grinned. _Yes, yes, yes!_ "Yeah, sure. I think that could be arranged."

I could hear him smiling through the phone. "Great! See you around 7?"

"Perfect, can't wait. Bye."


	11. Chapter 11

**Again, slow update, I apologize. I'm not really sure how I feel about this chapter; it didn't turn out at all like I had planned, so please review so I know how much I failed (or didn't). **

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Chapter 11 – Will POV

Words couldn't describe the relief of finally being rid of Terri. It had taken until recently for me to realize how much she had been marginalizing me all these years, but once it had clicked, I couldn't wait to be done with her, once and for all. Considering it was completely her fault that we were forced to end our marriage, I was allowed to keep basically everything, including the apartment. Terri had been living with Kendra for the past few weeks and would probably continue to do so for a while. She didn't make nearly enough money from her part-time job at Sheets & Things to afford a place for herself, so unless she started working more hours or found a better paying job, it didn't look like she would be moving out of Kendra's place anytime soon. When I thought about it that way, I almost felt bad for her. I mean, she assumed that she would always have a doting husband to provide for her, but then she made one wrong, admittedly huge, mistake, and bang! I was out the door. I almost feel bad for her, but not quite. She took advantage of me, basically sucking all the happiness out of my life. It's time to be selfish for once in my life and think about what I truly want, not what's best for her. And right now, what I want is one Rachel Berry.

* * *

Tonight was going to be my first official date with Rachel.I pondered what to do first as I glanced around the apartment. _She'll be here in two hours and I still have so much to do. Wow, look at this place; it's a mess! This is not okay. _In 30 minutes flat, I was able to clean the entire place (yes, even the bedroom) well enough to make it first date-acceptable, in my opinion, at least.

_Okay, now to get started on dinner._ Opening the pantry, I found the only cookbook Terri and I had ever owned. She hadn't bothered to take it with her to Kendra's, which wasn't surprising in the least; I used it much more often than she did. I flipped through it, trying to find something I could make quickly and easily that Rachel would hopefully like. _Hmm, mushroom chicken? I've made that a couple times before, it was easy enough._ As I was pulling ingredients out of various cupboards, I remembered something vital. _Shit, she's vegan, isn't she! I remember her saying something about that a couple weeks ago. What the hell do vegans eat, anyways? Shit, shit, shit!_ I consulted the cookbook once again and flipped to the end, where there were a couple pages of strictly vegan meals. I didn't have tofu or anything else of the sort in the house and there wasn't enough time to run to the grocery store to buy some, so my options were limited. Finally, I found one vegan recipe that I owned all the ingredients for: chickpea curry. _Let's hope Rachel likes chickpeas._

After cooking, I showered, and then moved on to finding something to wear, which proved to be a much more difficult challenge. Considering I normally dress quite casual to school and I was trying to rid myself of my "Mr. Schuester" persona in front of Rachel, I finally decided on a tight black t-shirt and jeans. It wasn't perfect, but it would have to do. _Why the hell did I not plan any of this ahead of time?_

Regardless, I was downstairs with everything ready, waiting for Rachel, by 5 minutes to 7. The panic started to slowly seep into my mind as I paced the length of the living room. _There are so many things that could go wrong tonight! What if she doesn't like the food, or we suddenly find we have nothing to talk about, or someone shows up when she's here and finds out about everything?_ I continued contemplating the "what-ifs" until 7:10, when I began to get legitimately worried. _Oh no, she's not coming! Did her dads catch her? Or maybe she was in a car accident? I should call her and make sure everything's okay!_

As soon as I reached for the phone, Rachel came dashing through the door, shoving my house key into her purse. Sometime after Christmas, I had asked her how she got a copy of the key and was shocked to find out that Terri had actually given it to her during Rachel's brief stint as our maid. Neither Rachel nor I had understood the logic in this, but had agreed that anything related to Terri was now irrelevant.

Immediately, I was at her side; she grinned when she saw me and muttered, "Hey," pressing a soft kiss to my lips. "I'm so sorry I'm late," she continued, "But my dads decided to question me before I left the house. My running excuse has been impromptu Glee rehearsals at various members' houses, but I'm not sure how long I can stick with that one before they really catch on."

"Uh oh, do you think they've started getting suspicious yet?" I asked as I took her coat from her and hung it in the closet.

She sighed. "I dunno… I really hate lying to them like this. They've always trusted me, so if they ever found out…" She trailed off, biting her lip nervously.

_Shit, I was afraid of this, but I didn't think it would happen so soon._ "Rachel," I gently placed my hands on her shoulders and turned her to face me straight on. She continued to stare at the ground, so I lifted her head to meet her eyes, which had started to glisten with unshed tears. "Hey, Rach, listen. I really don't want this to be hard for you. You have a great relationship with your dads, which is amazing, and I can't let myself jeopardize that. You have-"

She cut me off sharply. "Will!" I raised an eyebrow as I noticed how the sadness in her eyes had now been replaced by a combination of determination and passion. "Don't be ridiculous, my dads aren't going to find out. Can we please just have one night where we can forget about everything else? Yum, something smells good! What did you make?" she danced into the kitchen and I trailed behind. She grabbed a spoon (obviously, she already knew where those were), dipped it into the pot, which was still sitting on the stove, and tasted it. "Chickpea curry, and a very good one, at that. I'm impressed, Will!"

I smiled. "Thank god, I was worried you wouldn't like it." _Wow, way to admit to your lack of self-confidence, Will. Always a good way to start off a first date, isn't it?_

Fortunately, Rachel just smirked. "You should give yourself more credit than that; at least you know how to cook, which is more than we can say for Terri."

I laughed. "That's true. Ready to eat?" She nodded and we moved to the table.

* * *

"Holy shit, this curry really is good, Will! How did you know I loved chickpeas?"

"Didn't you know, Rachel Berry? I know everything about you," I replied playfully.

She rolled her eyes, "No you don't."

"But I want to," I blurted out before I had time to stop myself. _Smooth. _

She smiled. "And you will. Eventually."

"But honestly, I think that was the only vegan recipe I could find that I already had all the ingredients to."

She chuckled. "Ah, I figured."

"I'm sure you can't really afford to be picky when you're vegan, though, right? You don't have very many options to begin with."

"It's true. I was a very picky eater when I was younger; I'm sure you find that hard to believe," she said sarcastically.

"Oh, yeah, completely," I replied just as sarcastically.

"But that was the sacrifice I had to make to become vegan. Now, I'll basically eat anything as long as it doesn't contain any animal products whatsoever."

"So what persuaded you to become vegan? Just because of animal rights?"

"That's the main reason, yes. I watched the documentary, Food Inc., with my dads, have you seen it?" I shook my head no. "You need to, it was incredible, but disgusting and so, so heartbreaking. I only made it through the first half because I thought I was going to be sick. After that, all 3 of us agreed to go completely vegan."

"Wow, that's impressive. How long has it been now?"

"Just a couple months, but we've all already noticed the difference. We feel healthier, more energized. Plus, I've heard a vegan diet is very good for your vocal cords."

I laughed. "Of course Rachel Berry would have ulterior motives when trying to be environmentally conscious," I teased.

"Excuse me?" She said indignantly. "The animals come first, my vocal cords second." I continued staring her down. "Okay fine, they're basically equal. But, you know what? At least I'm able to find a way to be environmentally conscious while being self-serving instead of only being self-serving."

"That's very true; I applaud you."

"Thank you. That's closer to the reaction I was expecting."

I noticed that both of our plates were empty and probably had been for quite a while, so we stood up and started clearing the dishes.

* * *

Once the dishes were cleared, we collapsed onto the couch. She rested her head on my shoulder and I reached my arm around her, softly running my fingers through her wavy hair. I looked down at her face to realize she was staring at me, and immediately my lips were on hers. She moved to straddle my lap and wrapped her arms around my neck as my tongue slowly entered her mouth. My arms now encircled her hips; I lifted her blouse to drag my fingers up her back. When I reached the back of her bra, I heard her gasp, and I was pretty sure it wasn't from pleasure.

"You okay?" I mumbled in between kisses to her neck. I felt her body tense up, so I stopped kissing her and moved my hands so they were resting by my side. "Rachel?"

"Can… can we just… um, watch a movie or something instead?" she muttered as she got off my lap and sat beside me on the couch.

_Shit, I knew I was moving too fast! Why did I have to force her to stop, aren't I supposed to be the mature one here?_ "Yeah, of course." I jumped up and searched through the box of DVDs hurriedly, "Is _Sweeney Todd_ okay?"

"Yeah, sure," she mumbled, her mind clearly somewhere else. I sighed and popped the disk into the player.

I sat down beside her again, trying to think of something to say to break the awkward silence, but I couldn't think of anything that wouldn't make her feel more embarrassed than she clearly already was. So, for almost two hours, the two of us sat in silence, our arms barely touching. We were both pretending to watch the movie, but neither of us was doing a very good job at concealing our stolen glances when we thought the other wasn't looking.

When the movie was almost finished, I saw Rachel glance aimlessly at her watch, then suddenly jump up. "Crap, I'm supposed to be home in 5 minutes! She sprinted to the door to grab her shoes and coat and I walked slowly behind. Just as she was about to leave, she turned around to face me. To my surprise, she wrapped her arms around my neck and buried her face into the crook of my neck. "I had a great time tonight, thank you," she mumbled.

"I'm sorry," I blurted out.

She pulled her face back so it was mere inches away from mine, her arms still entwined around my neck. "Don't say that, or you'll just make me feel guilty."

"But I-"

"Shh!" She put a finger to my lips. "We can play the blame game at a later date."

I smirked. "Whatever."

"Good night, Will," she whispered into my ear, and then she was off.

* * *

**Okay, just so no one feels the need to jump down my throat about preaching veganism, I am not a vegan; I just thought that would be something Rachel Berry would say. Please review! **


	12. Chapter 12

**I really suck at this "updating regularly" business, don't I?**

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Chapter 12 – Rachel POV

I strode into school Monday morning feeling more confident than ever. _I think this is the happiest I've been in a while, and why shouldn't I be? Glee club is going great; we're sure to win Regionals at this rate. I haven't been slushied in almost two weeks, and, to top it all off, I'm dating a gorgeous, _mature_, guy who really cares about me. My life is damn good right now. _As I grabbed my books out of my locker, I heard someone approaching me from behind.

"Hey, Rachel."

I turned around, smiling. "Hey… Mr. Schue. How was your weekend?"

He chuckled. "Oh, it was just great. How was yours?"

"Completely fabulous."

"Glad to hear it."

I glanced around quickly to make sure no one was paying attention to us. Of course, no one was. I lowered my voice, "So, um, you randomly talk to _all_ your students in the hallway, don't you?"

He smirked. "Yes, I do, but I actually just came over here to let you know, just in case Quinn hasn't yet, that she moved her bags to my office. You two can come down there after school to pick them up."

I raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean, her bags…?"

I watched as realization dawned on his face. "So Quinn hasn't-"

He was cut off by Quinn, who had now approached us. "Hey Rachel; Mr. Schue."

I was about to ask Quinn if this all meant what I thought it did, but Will beat me to it. "So, let me get this straight, Quinn. You packed your bags, assuming that Rachel's offer to move in with her still stood, without actually checking with her?"

She chuckled nervously. "Um… yeah, that's actually what I came over here for. Last night, I got into a major argument with Finn and his mom, where she basically suggested I find another place to live."

"Really?" I questioned.

"That doesn't sound like Carole," Will finished.

"Well, okay, not in so many words," Quinn clarified, "But that was the gist of it. And anyways, I really don't feel comfortable there anymore. So, Rachel… it is still okay with you and your dads, right?"

I sighed dramatically. "I suppose I can't just leave you out on the street, can I, now?" My voice dripped with sarcasm.

"Oh, if it's too much of a bother, I could totally find another place to stay," Quinn blurted out apologetically.

Will smiled. "She's kidding, Quinn."

"Of course you can stay with me," I added, "And I'm sorry that my superior acting skills caused you confusion." Will chuckled.

"Thank you so much, Rachel!" Quinn seemed genuinely relieved. "I should get to class now, but I'll see you two after school?" Will and I both murmured our agreement. "Okay, great; thanks again!"

As soon as Quinn was out of earshot, I started to make my uncertainty known to Will. "What have I gotten myself into?" I asked frantically. He tried to get a word in, but I kept going. "I'm an only child; I don't know how to live with anyone who isn't one of my dads! Speaking of my dads, I haven't even asked them yet! It was only three days ago that I offered and she took a rain check; I didn't expect anything to be moving nearly this fast! What if they say no? Then what will I tell Quinn?" Finally, I had to stop to take a breath.

"Rachel, calm down! I'm sure you'll be great at all this roommate stuff, but first things first, call your dads right now to make sure it's okay. I'm sure they'll say yes, anyways; your dads seem like they would be all for you 'helping your fellow man'. I have to go, but we'll talk later, okay?"

I took a few slow breaths, in and out. "Yeah… okay. Bye."

I watched Will walk down the hallway towards his classroom. Right before he turned the corner, I saw a flash of blonde, wavy hair dart back from behind the lockers. _Is that Quinn? No… she already went to her next class, Math, which is on the other side of the school. Whatever, there's a ton of girls in this school with hair just like hers; it was probably just one of them._

* * *

When Quinn and I reached my house that afternoon, her bags in tow, I wasn't at all surprised to see Michael open the door for us. "Hi! It's nice to see you again, Quinn. Please feel free to make yourself at home."

"Thank you so much for letting me stay with you, Mr. Berry. You have no idea how much this means to me."

"Our pleasure, Quinn. Rachel, do you want to go show Quinn the spare room? Afterwards, you can give her a tour of the house, if she'd like."

When we got up to her room, she gave me the obligatory 'this is so nice, thanks again' spiel and started to unpack while I sat on the edge of her bed, running through Glee Club choreography in my mind.

Suddenly, my cell phone vibrated, letting me know I had received a new text message. It was from Will, though I had entered his contact information into my phone under the name 'Jack,' just in case my dads were ever snooping through my phone. He asked if everything had gone okay with Quinn moving in, so I quickly replied that it had, then set the phone down on the bed beside me.

"Who was that?" Quinn asked innocently.

"Oh, it was just Tina. Trouble in paradise with her and Artie, again." I did know for a fact that they had been fighting a lot lately.

"Oh… I see. Funny that she would be coming to you for advice, considering you haven't had the greatest track record regarding boyfriends, no offense."

"None taken, but just so you know, I happen to be very observant about the lives of our peers. That, combined with my intricate knowledge of how relationships work in the musical theatre world, make me very qualified to be dishing out advice."

"Whatever you say," she smirked. "So, speaking of relationships, are you involved with anyone right now?"

I'm pretty sure my heart skipped a beat, but I was able to look completely unfazed. "Oh, me? Nope, no guys in my life right now. Like I said earlier, I'm completely over Finn, and I really don't think there are any other guys in this school who could put up with my high-maintenance personality."

"That's true, I don't think any of the students would be able to keep up with your personality, but what about the teachers? Say, Mr. Schue?"

_Calm down, she doesn't know anything. There's no proof. Whatever you do, don't show weakness._ "Quinn, what are you implying?"

"I'm not trying to imply anything, just merely questioning why you and Mr. Schue have been spending more time together than usual."

_If you play dumb, she'll give up._ "No we haven't, what are you talking about?"

"Well, I mean, it's not terribly obvious, but not completely unnoticeable either. You tend to stay behind to talk to him after almost every Glee rehearsal-"

I cut her off, "To talk about my various ideas for new songs or choreography."

"Whatever, and I saw you two talking this morning by your locker, before _and_ after I was there."

"Because he was telling me how your stuff was in his office because you were planning to move in with me today, which _you_ neglected to tell me!" I was on the verge of yelling now.

"Oh, please, just admit it!" She mimicked my volume.

"Admit what? That you're a-" I was cut off by the sound of my dad yelling from downstairs, asking if I could come downstairs for a moment. I sighed.

"We can continue this discussion afterwards," Quinn smiled at me with that bitchy, fake look I despised.

"No we won't, there's nothing to talk about!" I snapped a little too harshly, dashing out of my room and slamming the door behind me.

* * *

"Dad? You wanted to see me?" I asked as I entered the kitchen.

"Is everything okay? I heard yelling from upstairs," He asked with concern.

"Oh yeah, everything's fine. It was just a silly argument; you know how high school girls can be."

"Yeah… right. So, is there a reason that you didn't ask us if Quinn could move in until this morning? Of course, it's fine, but you know James and I like to have a bit more notice on things like this."

"Honestly, I didn't even know until this morning. Well, kind of. I talked to Quinn Friday night and I offered, not really thinking much of it. She took a rain check, so I just assumed I would ask you guys later because we hadn't set a date yet or anything, and then this morning she comes up to me and tells me her bags are already packed."

He sighed and sat down on a chair, "Okay, I get that, Rachel, but you really should've asked before you offered."

"Well, I was just in the moment and it seemed like the right thing to-"

"There's no need to make excuses, just remember that next time, okay? And speaking of last minute planning, you seem to be doing a lot of that lately. Why have there been so many impromptu glee rehearsals, especially on weekends?"

"Regionals is coming up in a few weeks," I started, trying to keep my voice as even as possible. "We need all the practice we can get. Obviously, not everyone gets the music and choreography as fast as I do, so Mr. Schuester needs to work extra hard with them." _Crap, there's a hole in my story!_ Before my dad could say anything, I finished, "But I still need to be at all the rehearsals so we can get a good feel of how the song sounds with everyone's voice contributing." _All this lying is becoming very good acting practice for me!_

"Right, yeah, of course. So, Mr. Schuester doesn't plan these rehearsals ahead of time?"

"Well, there's no formal schedule, no, but I'm pretty sure there'll be one every weekend, at least until Regionals." _I guess we'll have to find a new excuse after Regionals._

"I think Mr. Schuester should start planning these rehearsals better, it would make it a lot easier for everybody. Maybe I should give him a call…"

"Um, no, I don't think that's necessary. I can stop by his office tomorrow, if you'd like."

"Okay, thanks. I guess you can go back upstairs now."

I smiled, "Good talk, Dad," and quickly hugged him before running up to the spare, now Quinn's, bedroom.

* * *

As soon as I walked into the bedroom, I gasped as I saw Quinn holding my phone, quickly slipping it under her leg in hopes that I wouldn't notice.

I slammed the door, "What are you doing?"

She looked like a deer caught in headlights. "N-nothing. Just looking-"

"What did you see?" I asked, my voice gaining volume.

"Um… nothing…"

"QUINN! WHAT DID YOU SEE?" I screamed as I pushed her over and grabbed my phone from the bed.

"Proof of you and Mr. Schue… from all your texts," she whispered, ashamed.

"AHH! I KNEW IT!" I resisted the urge to throw my phone at the wall and settled for throwing a pillow instead.

"I'm really sorry," she mumbled, but I ignored her.

Once I felt my rage had been unleashed sufficiently, I collapsed onto the bed. "First question, how'd you find out? I changed his name on my phone."

"Yeah, I know, but I thought the number looked familiar. I still had his number in my phone from when we went to Sectionals."

I chuckled in spite of myself, remembering how he had been so worried about something going wrong while we were under the care of Ms. Pillsbury that he'd given all the Glee Club members his number in case of an emergency.

She continued, "So, I checked in my phone, and sure enough, same number." We were both silent for a few moments, then she began again, "I really am sorry, it was a complete invasion of your privacy. I just… back when I was Head Cheerio, I used to know everything that went on at school, all the gossip about relationships and scandals and everything. I guess I just wanted to have that back, the feeling of power and control… I had suspected something was going on; it's no secret that you've always had a soft spot for him, especially after that 'Endless Love' incident, but I didn't really expect your feelings to be reciprocated. The last thing I needed was that mental picture," she finished with a slight chuckle, meeting my eyes.

I rolled my eyes. "Fine, you're forgiven, but we can't just forget about this. If you tell anybody, I'll be forced to kill you." She laughed, but the solemnity in my eyes didn't fade. "I'm serious, do you have any idea what would happen to us if this got out? Especially him?"

"Oh, I know, of course. Your secret's safe with me," she smiled slyly.

I sighed exasperatedly. "A couple months ago, you used to make my life a living hell, and now, you're keeping one of my biggest secrets. This really has the potential to end horribly, doesn't it?" I mused.

She laughed again, "Yes, it does, but it won't. I promise I won't tell anyone."

"If you do, you'll be living on the streets," I replied without a hint of sarcasm.

"Deal."

* * *

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